98 NATURE IN A CITY YARD 



duty that we owe to the world ; some- 

 thing too much of our debt to the world, 

 and of our claims upon it ; something too 

 much of dragooning into the sciolistic so- 

 cialism of the time a blind reaching for 

 more and mere animal comforts. A man's 

 duty is mainly to himself. If he absolve 

 the world from its part in the conventional 

 arrangement, the world must do the like 

 for him, even though, in loving nature 

 more than man, one resigns some of his 

 humanity, and shapes his destiny to larger, 

 rougher, more unsocial ends than those 

 of his fellows. Mountains become more 

 than people to him, so he goes back to 

 primal strength and eke to savagery. 



We are afraid of unpopularity shock- 

 ingly afraid. We would rather be wrong 

 than unusual. Unconventionality is a 

 greater offense than sin. Litter the street 

 with rubbish, breed contagion in the neigh- 

 borhood, be a prize-fighter or an alder- 

 man, swindle your friend in a stock deal, 

 and the law will not trouble you ; but cut 

 the two buttons from the back of your 

 coat, let your hair grow, wear sandals, 



